This invention relates to a game, and in particular to a card game auxiliary feature in which a participating player selecting to play a side bet portion of the game, if dealt a predetermined card wins a side bet pool.
It is known in the art to provide card games, such as Poker and Blackjack, in a casino environment or consistent with casino style rules. In these variations, the gaming establishment typically seeks to attract as many participants to a game as possible to increase the money collected at the gaming table. In addition, the number of games played during a specified time, such as the number of hands per hour, is also an important metric used to evaluate the return potential for a game. That is, the more hands that are played during a unit of time, the greater the money collected by the house and the corresponding profit realized.
In poker games, in general, high/low games are preferred, as these games keep more players in the game as both a high hand and a low hand can win, in which case the pot is split. Because the players, regardless of whether attempting to gain a high hand or a low hand, are sharing a pot, the amount of money required to stay in the game may dissuade some players from continuing play during a game. Also, splitting of the pot may be perceived by some players as not providing adequate winnings. Furthermore, these high/low games require the building of a hand to assess one""s chances of winning, and, consequently, recognition that a hand may possibly win can take several cards.
There is a need for a card game having an auxiliary payoff pot that is not related to the pot for a simultaneously played base game. There is a further need for a card game having an auxiliary payoff feature that is quickly determined and does not require the building of a hand.
It is an advantage of the present invention to meet these needs, and others, by providing a card game auxiliary feature for increasing player participation and likelihood of continued play by providing a pooled bet by players, in which the pooled side bet is won by a participating player receiving a predetermined card. It is another advantage of the present invention to provide for the betting pool to carry over to subsequent hands if not won, so as to encourage continued play.
It is another advantage of the present invention for the predetermined card to be a Joker added to a standard deck of cards. It is yet another advantage of the present invention for the predetermined card to be selected at random from the deck of cards, such as by cutting the deck. It is yet another advantage of the present invention for the Joker added to the standard deck of cards not to be used in play of the card game.
It is a further advantage of the present invention to provide for the pooled bet and dealing of the predetermined winning card in conjunction with any of several underlying games. It is yet another advantage for the underlying game to be Poker, including Draw Poker, Five Card Stud Poker, and Seven Card Stud Poker. It is yet another advantage for the underlying game to be Blackjack.
The present invention comprises a casino style card game with auxiliary betting pool feature, also referred to as a side bet pool. The game, referred to as xe2x80x9cBonus Jackpotxe2x80x9d is playable in conjunction with any of several standard card games, such as Poker or Blackjack, or other card games, using one or more standard decks of 52 cards or representations thereof and optionally one or more Jokers added to the deck or to each deck. The game is further playable, for example, on a gaming table by players and a dealer using cards, or on a computer, other electronic medium, slot machine, or other device using representations of various features of the game. In an embodiment of the present invention, at the time of ante in the card game, each player participating in the card game optionally selects whether to participate in the auxiliary bonus portion of the game by making a special bonus bet, which is placed in a special bonus jackpot. Play then proceeds according to the rules of the underlying card game. In an embodiment of the present invention, a player wins the special bonus jackpot if the player has selected to participate in the auxiliary bonus portion of the game and if the player is dealt a predetermined card, such as the added Joker or a card selected at random prior to start of the game, such as a card selected by cutting the deck. If no player wins the jackpot in a particular hand, the jackpot carries over, thus providing greater incentive for player participation and continued play, whether or not the player wins the underlying card game. If the predetermined card is dealt to a Dealer or is dealt as, for example, a community card, the predetermined card is discarded and another card dealt. The player receiving the dealt predetermined card is dealt an additional card to complete that player""s hand whether or not any winning jackpot is distributed. Thus, the predetermined card, such as a Joker, is not used for play in the card game. In play with a gaming table, the table includes various spots or locations for easing play or ensuring proper play, including a location for placement of the special bonus bet by each player and betting spots for placement of bets and antes.
To achieve the stated and other advantages of the present invention, as embodied and described below, the invention includes a method for at least one player to play a card game with a deck of cards, the deck of cards including a predetermined jackpot card, and for the at least one player optionally to participate in jackpot play for a jackpot, comprising: receiving a selection from each of the at least one player whether to participate in the card game; receiving a selection from the each of the at least one card game player whether to participate in the jackpot play; dealing at least one card from the deck of cards to each of the at least one card game player; determining whether each of the at least one card game player participating in the jackpot play was dealt the predetermined jackpot card; and if one of the at least one card game player participating in the jackpot play was dealt the predetermined jackpot card, awarding the jackpot to the one of the at least one card game player participating in the jackpot play dealt the predetermined jackpot card.
To achieve the stated and other advantages of the present invention, as embodied and described below, the invention further includes a method for playing a card game with representations of a deck of cards, the deck of cards including a predetermined jackpot card representation, and for the at least one player optionally to participate in jackpot play for a jackpot, comprising: receiving a selection from each of the at least one player whether to participate in the card game; receiving a selection from the each of the at least one card game player whether to participate in the jackpot play; assigning at least one representation of a card from the representations of the deck of cards to each player; for each player participating in the jackpot play, determining whether the predetermined jackpot card representation was assigned; and if at least one player participating in the jackpot play was assigned the predetermined jackpot card representation, awarding the jackpot to the one player participating in the jackpot play assigned the predetermined jackpot card representation.
To achieve the stated and other advantages of the present invention, as embodied and described below, the invention further includes a gaming table for at least one player to play a card game with a deck of cards, the deck of cards including a predetermined jackpot card, and for the at least one player optionally to participate in jackpot play for a jackpot, the gaming table comprising: a table surface; at least one player location indicated on the table surface, each of the at least one player location including: an indicated ante location; and an indicated jackpot play bet location; and a dealer location indicated on the table surface; wherein a selection is received from each player whether to participate in the game, the selection including placing an ante wager at the indicated ante location; wherein a selection is received from the each of the at least one card game player whether to participate in the jackpot play, the selection including placing a wager at the indicated jackpot play bet location; wherein at least one card is dealt from the deck of cards to each of the at least one card game player; wherein a determination is made as to whether each of the at least one card game player participating in the jackpot play was dealt the predetermined jackpot card; and wherein, if one of the at least one card game player participating in the jackpot play was dealt the predetermined jackpot card, the jackpot is awarded to the one of the at least one card game player participating in the jackpot play dealt the predetermined jackpot card.
To achieve the stated and other advantages of the present invention, as embodied and described below, the invention further includes a device for a player to play a card game with representations of a deck of cards, the deck of cards including a predetermined jackpot card, and for the at least one player optionally to participate in jackpot play for a jackpot, the device comprising: a display for displaying the card game, including the representations of a deck of cards; and a processor for receiving selections from the player for play of the game, for determining progress of play, and for processing and displaying a graphical user interface; wherein a selection is received from each of the at least one player whether to participate in the card game; wherein a selection is received from the each of the at least one card game player whether to participate in the jackpot play; wherein at least one representation of a card from the representations of the deck of cards is assigned to each player; wherein, for each player participating in the jackpot play, the processor determines whether the predetermined jackpot card representation was assigned; and wherein, if at least one player participating in the jackpot play was assigned the predetermined jackpot card representation, the jackpot is awarded to the one player participating in the jackpot play assigned the predetermined jackpot card representation.
Additional advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the invention.